Our Commitment to Challenge and Innovate

WE WILL CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO AND TRIAL NEW APPROACHES AND SOLUTIONS TO SUPPORT THE TRANSITION TO A NET POSITIVE BUSINESS.

Moving to a net positive business model requires current practices to be challenged and an openness to innovative new approaches. We will be looking at our own practices but also looking at how we can use our role as an influencer to challenge our customers, our consumers and our suppliers.

There are a number of ways we will be looking to challenge ourselves and our partners, and to create innovative solutions.

Challenge and Innovate Initiatives

Our Scope Three Footprint: We have undertaken a detailed carbon footprint with JLL Upstream as part of the development of our objective to become Net Positive by 2030. The results have helped us to focus our activities and to set a baseline for tracking progress on this ambitious journey.

Design Standards: In 2015 we launched the world's first zero energy coffee hub in collaboration with Costa, challenging the status quo of how these shells are created, and how a partnership between landlord and tenant works. In 2017 we will open our second hub and what looks set to be the world's first zero energy retail park. Over the next fifteen years we will continue to push the boundaries with design.

New Ways to Value Sustainability: In 2016 we undertook a unique project with Sir Robert McAlpine and Trucost using Natural Capital accounting to quantify the environmental and social impact of different design options across a small number of our centres.

We will continue to explore these more innovative ways to quantify impact. We will also be looking at the role of whole life costing in capital expenditure
financial decisions.

Innovative New Funding Models: We will explore clever ways to fund sustainability initiatives and optimise the positive impact of our investments.

Trialling Pioneering Solutions: At Hammerson we invest a huge amount in innovation both through our dedicated innovation team and directly through our centre teams.

In 2016, we became one of only five sites worldwide to have Biowhale technology. This pioneering anaerobic digestion technology from OWL is being trialled at Westquay and operational teams from across the Hammerson portfolio, as well as retailers, have visited Westquay to view the technology.

Challenge and Innovate Progress

We will share news of our work via our Blog, and via our Initiatives page.